
I absolutely love plums when they are sweet, especially prune plums which are available in late summer. However sometimes plums can be hard and tart, and just don’t seem to ripen. When you happen to have some of those the best thing is to cook or bake with them. Precisely this happened to me when I bought more than half a kilo of prune plums without having a feel of them first (they did look nice, plump and fresh though!), so I came up with this recipe, which was perfect for a lazy summer afternoon treat.
I like to serve this cake with some vanilla ice cream on the side. I can also see this as a perfect winter cosy treat served with custard. Upside down cakes may sound dated but this one is delicious, sweet, fruity, moreish, and the cake was ever so moist.
Ingredients
- 200 g butter
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 100 g muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 500 g plums, stoned
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g plain flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 125 ml buttermilk
- 7 oz butter
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 lb + 1½ oz plums, stoned
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 oz plain flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Melt 100 g (3½ oz) of butter in a pan and add 100 g (½ cup) of granulated sugar and 100 g (½ cup) of muscovado sugar.
- Allow the sugar to dissolve and make a toffee sauce.
- Stone the plums and cut into quarters or 1 inch slices, depending on the size.
- Pour the sauce into a 22 cm (9 inch) springform pan and arrange the plums on top to cover.
To make the cake mix:
- Cream 100 g (3½ oz) of butter and 200 g (1 cup) of sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one by one and the vanilla extract.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, and add to the batter alternating with the buttermilk until all is combined.
- Spoon the batter on top of the plums.
- Place in the oven preheated at 180C (355F) for one hour until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool inside the tin for another 30 to 45 minutes, then remove from the tin upside down onto a cake stand.
Notes
It is always a good idea to fill the springform tin with water to ensure there are no leaks since the hot toffee sauce will be poured inside.